ATLANTA – House Majority Leader Jon Burns (R-Newington) recently submitted a letter to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the State Election Board suggesting improvements to the absentee ballot application and envelope signature verification process in Georgia. The letter, which was also signed by more than 100 current and newly-elected House members, also encourages the Secretary of State to seek additional staffing options to provide more support and oversight for Georgia’s upcoming elections on January 5, 2021.
“Many Georgians, including my colleagues who have signed this correspondence, have serious concerns about Georgia’s elections,” said Leader Burns. “As we approach a critical election on January 5, 2021, Georgia voters must have confidence in the election process going forward. To that end, my colleagues in the House and I have submitted two common-sense suggestions to help ensure secure elections on January 5. I thank Secretary Raffensperger and the State Election Board for considering these suggestions that would rebuild some of the trust that Georgians may have lost in our election process.”
In the letter, these House members call for the Secretary of State to implement a more robust verification process when reviewing signatures on absentee ballot applications and mail-in ballot envelopes by including independent observers. The letter also addresses opportunities for the Secretary of State or the State Election Board to partner with other state agencies to support local and state election officials on Election Day.
“Multiple news outlets reported significant failures in counties across our state before, during, and after Election Day,” added Leader Burns. “These counties were rural, suburban, and metro-area and represented all demographics and areas of our state. We hope these suggestions can help Georgians rest assured that each and every legal vote is counted here in Georgia.”
Representative Jon Burns represents the citizens of District 159, which includes Screven County and portions of Bulloch and Effingham counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2004 and currently serves as House Majority Leader. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education and the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs, Economic Development & Tourism, Ethics, Game, Fish & Parks, and Transportation committees. He also serves as an Ex-Officio member of the House Rules Committee.
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